Petrels, Shearwaters, and Diving Petrels
Zino’s Petrel
Pterodroma madeira
- Family
- Petrels, Shearwaters, and Diving Petrels (Procellariidae)
- Order
- Procellariiformes
Overview
Zino's petrel (Pterodroma madeira) or the freira, is a species of small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, endemic to the island of Madeira. This long-winged petrel has a grey back and wings, with a dark "W" marking across the wings, and a grey upper tail. The undersides of the wings are blackish apart from a triangle of white at the front edge near the body, and the belly is white with grey flanks. It is very similar in appearance to the slightly larger Fea's petrel, and separating these two Macaronesian species at sea is very challenging.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds in summer in cliffs high on Pico do Arieiro (central Madeira; central Macaronesia); non-breeding range in subtropical and tropical Atlantic to Azores (northwestern Macaronesia) and St. Helena and northeastern Brazil (tropical South Atlantic Ocean).
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Zino's petrel
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
